Pocket knife



March 12, 1935. c. F. GAUNT 1,994,215

POCKET KNIFE Original Filed July 1'7, 1930 INVENTOR we, ATTORNEY forms it mayserve as a Patented Mar. 12, 1935 v UNITE o s TAT Es I 1,994,215 7 POCKET ,KNI 'Gharles-FrederickGaunt, Birmingham, England Application July 17,1930, Serial-No. 468,495

' RenewedJune 14, 1934 6 Claims. (01. -206) This invention relates to knives, and particularlyifoldingknives which in its preferred form is intended for a. fruit knife for reasons that will hereinafter appear. In mostif not all its pocket knife because of protection-of the cutting edge of the blade when folded, and other characteristics.

The particular aims of this invention are to provide a folding knifewith convenient handle, whichcanbe made very compact, cheap to manufacture, and in-particular permits entir'ecleansing :by simple'wiping of the partsatall times to remove fruit juices or other material that might ordinarily causestain, vor the accumulation of dust and .dirt and'other unsanitary accretions, and with these provide in the structure the embodiment of other useful adjuncts such as a fruit peel incision-claw with gauge or :incision-limiting means, a file surface, bottle opener or other devices, which in all cases in no way preclude the thorough cleaning ofthe tool, and in closed position assures'protection against accident to the user.

One embodiment of myinvention is shown in the accompanying'drawing, in which:

Fig. I is a side'elevation of the knifegcl'osed or sheathed. r i

.Fig. II showsranopen knife withthe blade ex tended.

Fig. III is an edge View looking at the cutting edge of the knife when closed against the handle.

Fig. IV is a cross section JIV-IV of Fig. III, on enlarged scale.

Fig. V is an elevation of the'back. of the handle stamping, in one form of my invention.

Theparticular form illustrated comprises a handle formed of a single metalstamping which in its perfected form is of stainless steel or stainless metal. Ablade 2 is held by 'a pivot3 with a washer 4 on one side and a washer 5 on the other side clipped together at one end of the handle land blade by a single rivet, which rivet may be a hollow rivet and :thereby provide a hole or eyelet to accommodate a link or cord or wire toforrna chain connection for the support and carrying of the knife; for convenience.

On one edge of the flat handle stamping there is a lateral offset -'6 extending longitudinally of the handle on both sides of the pivot 3, so that on closing the blade the edge 7 of the butt engages the underside of the offset 6, thereby preventing the cutting edge 2 from extending beyond the edge 1 of the handle.

blade is held in cutting position by the heel 8 engaging a portion of the offset 6, and thereby Similarly the locking the blade .its open position, I may also-provide a slight protuberance on thelsemicircular butt end of :the blade, suchas 9, and another-such as 10,.andaslight recess 11,or a v slight offset/in themetal of the, stop 6, so that 5 in either the open position or in the .closedposition the blade is locked against, accidental movement, which after wearing of the pivot is very :desirable toprovideat least for the closed pcsitionwhen,theuknife is :used as a pocket knife. 10

On one side of 'theghandle, when thisis made of a single thin metal stamping, Ijmay provide an area forming ,a file -12-1which-innoway interferes with the usegof the knife, nor, would abrade anything orcatch in pulling or opening surface to facilitate the pivoting of the blade with respect to the handle inconjunction with asimilar roughened or ;file surface 13 on'the outer side of theblade :where it will not accumulateiuice acids or other undesirable dust or dirt.

At theend of the knife handle opposite to the bladepivotI-form asmall lateral-olfset when stampingrthe back, whichmay be slightly rounded, and this ofiset 14 may form a protection-for thepoint of the blade, and also forms a depth gauge in conjunction with a fruit peel incision or .rippingpoint '15, whichprovides for the complete utility of the'article as a fruit knife, name-' ly, the ripping or peel-incision point 15 provides for :the initial severing of the surface of-fruit peel, such :as: an orange, and then the opened knife "blade vserves-its usual function, and parts of thearticle may-thereupon be wiped perfectly clean eliminating. thechanceof secretion of unsanitary organic material, dust or dirt..

In parti'cular,it-willbe seen from Fig. IV that the .cutting edge 2' of theblade lies flat against thelsurfacel'? of :thehandle or projectorban and as both surfaces can be wiped perfectlyclean whenthe blade is "extended, the closediknife is assured of preventing "the accumulation of dust and'dirt or acid moisturejthat would affect-the blade or tend to accumulate any undesirable material. The'rivet washers are flushgand tight, and ineither the open or1closed1position the adjacent edgeof the butt ;of the blade. making contact withthestop 'ficanl'be. readilyjcleaned.

It will thus be seen that the simplicity of construction and cheapness of construction are added to by the compactness and entirely sanitary characteristics of the article, with also the complete protection of the cutting edge and the blade point when used as a pocket knife.

The outer or back side of the handle may be a. pocket, but forms the "double'purpose-of a file, and a time-to-time of the blade may readily be accomplished and still maintain the cutting edgeflush, with the inside of the blade surface to meet the conditions above set forth. l g

It will be particularly notedthat a suitable rivet such as 3, or a hollow rivet, has its heads engaging the outer surface of each of the washers 4 and 5,, and that these washers have a diameter substantially equal to the breadth of the butt of the blade and the'width' of the back or handle stamping, so that a liberal surface of the inner side of each 'washer forms frictional contact against the adjacent member of the knife. Particularly on the blade side this relatively large areaof washer forms a frictional contact that holds the bladein the closed or open position with security under normal conditions. The washer on the blade side essentially serves this purpose, and in some cases I may omit the washer on the back of the handle stamping, particularly when the thickness of the stamping and the dimensions in general provide a firm support or resistance to the head of the rivet on that side. Theslight protuberances 9 and 10, however, may be used as a means of more firmly locking in the extreme positions closed or open, and in place of such offset 6 may in its middle be slit for a short distance from the body portion of the handle stamping, as by touching it witha grinding tool, so that a-small portion of the offset forms a spring-yielding member with a slight depression to engage corresponding protuberances in the butt of the blade in the two extreme open'and closed positions. 7

On the whole, this article embodying my inventions, it will be seen may be'made by the simple stamping of two major parts, practically in one operation after the blanks have been sheared to size, and thereafter a fewsmall grinding operations, and then the riveting together of the parts. The liberal size of the bearings assures proper friction and fit without any precision operations. This illustrates the simplicity and'cheapness of manufacture in particular.

While various modifications may be made without departing from my invention, in forms other than herein particularly shown and described, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fruit knife comprising a blade having its cutting edge fiush with one surface of the blade, a pivotal support for the blade on a handle having an adjacent fiat flush side for engagement of the flat surface of the blade fiush with the cutting edge, and afruitpeel incision-means formed on the handle beyond its contact with the blade when sheathed and a fiat offset adjacent the inpivotal connection cision means forming a depth gauge therefor and V a protection for the point of the blade.

2. A fruit knife'having a single flat'stamped stainless metal handle plate embodying at one end a limited incision-claw and a cooperating depth-gauge offset from the handle plate, and forming at the same time an end' protection for the knife blade, a knife blade pivoted on' one side of the handle and adapted to-swing to an open position 'or closed position limited by an offset on one edge of the handle stamping adjacent the of the blade, whereby the entire inner surface of the handle is accessible for cleansing when the blade is open, and the incision claw is operablewhen the blade is sheathed.

3. A collapsible knife consisting of a blade and asingle sideha'ndle, pivotal connections between the twoembodying means adapted to hold the.

blade fiat against one surface of the single sided handle with the cutting edge inside of the-edge of the handle; whereby the blade and the handle constitute a grip when the blade is'closed tooper ate an incision claw integrally formed with the handle, an incision claw integrally formed at one end of the handle, and a depth gauge for. said claw integrally formed of the adjacent part of the handle end ofiset on the side of and in proximity to the end of the blade for protection of the blade point, whereby in sheathed position of the it forms a convenient fruit part of said knife with a-cooperating gauge stop to limit the penetration thereof as when form-' blade the implementis conveniently operable forincis ing fruit peels to a limited depth, and when strip by apivot at one end thereof and an incising claw formed as ing an incision on the peel of an orange or the like and projecting from .theend of'the flush side of the handle to form a protection for theblade point. I

5. A having a blade lying flat against one side of a'single strip forming the handle, said single strip hav- I ing oneside juxtaposed to the blade flat and'flush from side-to-side, a roughened patch formed on the back of the handle stripand onthe outer surface of the blade and having the blade held solely by a butt engagement against accidental opening and closing, wherebythe opening of the knife isfacilitated and providing the double purpose of a file.

6. A fruit knifehaving a single fiat metal hanpocket knifeof the character. describedll.

dle with one side flush from vedge-to-edge, a blade pivoted at one end to one end of said flat handle surface, and a detent adjacent the. pivot to position the blade open or closed with respect'to the handle, and having. at the extremity of :the handle an offset on'theside of the blade to pro tect the point of theblade and tosimultaneous- 1y act as a depth gauge for fruit peel cutting by an inciser embodied in said handle member adjacent the offset.

.V'CHARLES FREDERICK GAUNT. 

